Planting and maintenance - Spruce

To cultivate spruce for private use largely involves growing Christmas trees or a few spruces in the garden. From a commercial perspective, there are larger Christmas tree plantations, as there is a big market for this - but of course, one can also grow a few spruces in the garden, either from seeds or with the help of small plants. The spruces primarily used as Christmas trees are usually called Norway spruce, and belong to the same species. Considered as a garden plant, spruce is considered quite easy to grow and one can choose from many different varieties, from the classic spruce shape to creeping varieties. Additionally, it is also available in different color variations, and you can find spruces in shades of blue, yellow, and green. For the best conditions, the spruce prefers to be in full sun to partial shade, preferably facing west. Darker places are still suitable for planting, but one must also be patient - as the spruce will grow slower, and it usually does not become as dense.

The spruce tree is excellent at surviving on its own in the climate it is grown in, but if there are long periods of drought, it may still be beneficial to water your spruce plantation. Young spruces may need help with shading in early spring to prevent the needles from drying out in the sun, while older and larger varieties may benefit from leaf mulching instead. In the fall, before winter arrives, it is also good to water your spruce plantation - as the soil should ideally be moist when winter arrives.

It is not certain that any pruning is necessary, but if it is to be done, it is best done during the summer and autumn. The top of the spruce should never be cut, but otherwise you can prune quite freely to achieve the desired shape of your tree.

The spruce tree provides wood that can be used for several different purposes. For those who have used spruce as firewood, you know that it gives off a lovely crackling sound in the fireplace, which many associate with the holiday season. In addition, spruce timber accounts for 55% of all the raw material in our Swedish sawmills, and it is mainly used in construction and building projects. The wood, which has low water absorption, works perfectly for exterior paneling or other outdoor constructions - unlike pine, for example, which tends to absorb water and is therefore not suitable for outdoor use.,Spruce wood is also used for a variety of other purposes, including flooring, furniture, boat building, and manufacturing parts for various musical instruments. In addition to all these production-related uses, spruce is also beloved by many animals, often attracting squirrels and birds. The cones offer seeds that many animals and birds enjoy eating during the fall and winter - so if you like to have some animal visitors in your garden, it’s a good tree to plant.,Anyone who has ever taken a walk in a dense spruce forest also knows that this magnificent and lush tree provides a special feeling of peace and harmony, and a fully grown spruce forest can sometimes feel like a parallel mythological world - where one might expect to encounter not only gnomes and trolls but also fairies and other forest creatures.